When I say Google, I refer to a site where you can do research. I listed a number of alternatives. The point is that you are using a tool to things… like these five things:
- Learn about… everything. Your target industry, your target companies, current events, etc. As you learn more, and stay up with relevant stuff, you will be more prepared in your job search. Tip: set up Google Alerts (google it) so you get it in your email and don’t have to worry about searching every single day.
- Deep dive into your target company. Whether you are preparing for an interview or a networking event, don’t disrespect yourself and your audience by not knowing what you should. Some simple searches can help you learn more about company revenue, locations, strategies, current events, challenges, competitors, org chart, etc. Use sites like Crunchbase, Spoke and Yahoo Finance to get the nitty gritty details.
- Figure out email conventions. That is, figure out if they use Jason@JibberJobber.com or J.Alba@JibberJobber.com or Jason.Alba@JibberJobber.com. That way you can find a name and then make a really good guess at their company email address to contact them. I have done this a number of times. It’s not always successful, but it has been enough to make it worth my efforts.
- Find more networking paths. LinkedIn is great for this but through Google search results you should learn about companies, divisions and contacts you might not have found on LinkedIn. Some of the people in your target companies might not be on LinkedIn, but through a more general (google) search, you might find some key names and positions you need to talk to, or network through.
- See what others are saying. This is critical. A target company might seem awesome from what they tell you, but you might learn otherwise from other websites, including Glassdoor, Yelp, and complaint sites. If you see trending comments that a company has ethical problems, or continues to treat their customers/employees bad, or their products plain suck, maybe that’s a yellow flag to heed. It might also provide you more ammunition as you prepare a “why you need me …. to help fix these problems/perceptions” message.
Like the other websites/tools on the Top 5 List, this one complements the others. It isn’t the ONLY tool to use, but it can be a great value-add.
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Jason – good choices for top five.
Re: your #3 above, Figure out email conventions.
To do this, open Google, then search as follows: “*@jibberjobber.com”
Google will return numerous hits on email addresses from JibberJobber (or whatever domain name was selected), and you will then know the email convention.